“Maybe we shouldn't even be down here,” said Austin Tretower, as he looked around the gloomy basement. “Are you sure it's okay with your parents?”
“Of course it's okay with them,” replied girl inventor Astrid Maxxim. “We just need to carry this crate upstairs. That’s why I called the three of you.”
Austin looked at the dusty wooden container labeled Antarctic Expedition 1928.
“This is just about the point in the conversation when The Thing explodes from the box and eats our faces.”
“There’s rope handle on each side,” Astrid pointed out. “You and I will take the sides. Toby can take the top end and Valerie the bottom. Then we’ll just carry it right up the stairs.”
The four teenagers looked at one another, nodded in agreement, and then each took their respective handle and lifted. Five minutes later, they were at the top of the stairs and set the crate down on the floor of the Maxxim family room.
Astrid Maxxim was five foot five and startlingly cute. Her strawberry blond hair was cut to shoulder length, setting off her very large blue eyes. Astrid’s friend Austin was a sandy-haired boy who seemed thoroughly average in just about every way. He had only recently moved to Maxxim City, but was already a part of Astrid’s close circle of friends. The third member of the group was Toby Bundersmith. Toby had lived next door to Astrid since she was born and embodied, at least in Astrid’s opinion, everything good about a boy. He was tall and handsome, with brown bangs cut just above his hazel eyes. Finally there was Valerie. Valerie was a robot copy of a fourteen year old girl, built by Astrid earlier that year and programmed with the memories of Astrid’s long-time friend Valerie Diaz. Robot Valerie originally had bright silver skin, but after returning from Hawaii, Astrid had covered it with a bluish metallic polycarbonate so that she would be more water resistant. Thanks to another recent upgrade, she also had bright blue shoulder length hair. She was just a bit shorter than Astrid.
“What’s in that dusty old thing anyway?” asked Valerie’s flesh-and-blood twin from where she sat on the couch, with her feet curled up under her. Though she shared the robot’s features, her raven hair and flashing brown eyes made it only too clear that she was entirely human. “It’s not The Thing, is it?”
“See, I’m not the only one,” said Austin.
“You know Valerie could have carried that upstairs all by herself. She’s very strong.”
“I don’t want to go down in that basement by myself,” said Robot Valerie. “It’s spooky.”
“All three of you are just being silly,” said Astrid. “Now, let’s get this open and you’ll see that there’s nothing in there. Well, there will be something, but not The Thing.”
A rusty hasp, with an ancient padlock in it, held down the lid of the box. The wood was so old however that the hasp and the hinges on the opposite side all pulled loose. Toby helped Astrid lift the lid and set it to the side. Nestled neatly within the box were four stacks of manilla file folders.
“Oh great,” said Austin. “It’s worse than The Thing. It’s homework.”
“I kind of miss homework,” said Astrid, lifting one of the folders and opening it to find faded topographical maps. She didn’t comment when Valerie snorted.
“Do you think any of this will be useful on your trip?” asked Toby.
“I don’t know,” replied Astrid. “This is all from my great-grandfather’s expedition, and I’m embarrassed to say that I don’t even know what part of Antarctica he explored, or even why he went. But since school is out, I’ll have time to read through all this. I’m not leaving until the Monday after Father’s Day.”
“I’m going to miss you,” said Austin, and then looked quickly at Toby and Robot Valerie. “I mean we’re all going to miss you.”
“Yes, we will,” said Toby.
“I’ll only be gone a month.”
“That’s not much of a Father’s Day present,” said a voice from the doorway.
The kids all turned to see Astrid’s dad. Dr. Roger Maxxim was a tall man whose brown hair was only just beginning to show a touch of grey at his temples. He wore a pair of sturdy glasses; behind which were creases that could more honestly be called laugh lines than wrinkles. Having just arrived home from work, he still wore his lab coat over slacks, white shirt, and red tie.
“Don’t worry, Dad,” said Astrid. “I’ve got something for you that you’ll like.”
“Do I look worried? Now, I’m going to put the charcoal on before I go change. Is this it for dinner, or can we expect the usual suspects?”
“Christopher and Denise should be here any minute,” said Toby.
“Great. Why don’t you all get the salad ready and set the table.”
The crate from the basement was forgotten as Austin and the two Valeries set the table. Toby helped Astrid assemble the salad, the components of which, including pasta and hard-boiled egg she had cooked and chopped earlier. Then they tossed the dinner rolls, also readied that afternoon, into the oven. Everything was just about ready as Dr. Maxxim carefully placed two rows of juicy steaks across the grate of the backyard grill. Just as he was taking them back off again, the last two members of the group arrived. Denise Brown had long blond hair and green eyes, and was a little on the skinny side. She had been friends with Astrid just as long as Valerie had. Christopher Harris was Toby’s best friend. He was tall, with chocolate brown skin and black hair. A quiet boy, he had the highest grades of anyone at Rachel Carson High School, with the exception of Astrid.
They enjoyed the delicious meal and talked, mostly about plans to visit Joyland, the local amusement park, the next Saturday. After dinner, Dr. Maxxim excused himself and the kids all helped clean up. Afterwards they changed into their swimsuits and splashed around the Maxxim’s large backyard pool. By the time all of Astrid’s guests left for home, everyone was tired but happy.
After a bubble bath and an hour practicing her oboe, Astrid climbed into bed with a three-inch stack of file folders that she had taken from the mysterious crate. Most of them contained maps, with faded ink and deep creases from having been folded for the better part of a century. Finally she opened the last folder to find that it contained a slim, leather-bound notebook. She opened it to the last page and read.
“Our entire expedition had been doomed by the thing in the ice…” Astrid stopped and blinked. “Oh my gosh! The Thing!”